This Saturday, Nov. 21, Aztec CX will happen as the fourth race in the FLC CX Series. The races will be held at Riverside Park in beautiful Aztec, NM. To get there from the East, go west through Aztec toward Farmington, after crossing the Animas River bridge (right near A&W) turn left on S. Light Plant Rd. which dead ends at the park. The course features a sojourn onto the BMX track and long sections on the river trail. Registration commences at 9am with the Open Women and Men’s B categories racing at 10am. The Kids/MTB race rolls at 11am and the Men’s A/Men’s 40+ races goes at 11:30am.
On Sunday there will be the great opportunity to race at Durango’s Santa Rita Park. The park is located at the intersection of Hwy 160/550 and Santa Rita Dr. (it is where the Chamber of Commerce building and Whitewater park is). This course features a tough run-up and the volleyball court sand. Again, registration commences at 9am with the Open Women and Men’s B categories racing at 10am. The Kids/MTB race rolls at 11am and the Men’s A/Men’s 40+ races goes at 11:30am.
Click here for the Cortez CX results.
Cortez CX is the third race of the seven race FLC Cyclocross Series p/b Animas
Orthopedics, Durango Coca-Cola and Rivergate Sports Medicine.
At Parque de Vida in Cortez the conditions were truly CX with 3 inches of
melting snow and windy/cold temps. The course started next to the Rec.
Center and used much of the terrain of the park including the banked hill of
the skate park, the edge of the goose pond and a long foray through the sand
of the volleyball courts right before the finish of the lap.
The Men’s B race was immediately dominated by Garrett Alexander (FLC) while
a group of five sat 10 seconds back for the first third of the race. The
third lap saw the chase group explode with 15 year old Sepp Kuss (Durango
Devo) and Scott Dahlberg (DCCX) distance themselves from the other chasers,
but the gap to Alexander kept growing a bit each lap and that was the final
order.
Teal Stetson-Lee (FLC) and Lauren Hall (Hudz/Subaru) took off the from the
gun to set the early pace while the rest of the women sorted themselves out.
FLC racers Missy Erickson and Stephanie Falls flip-flopped in third and
fourth most of the race. Stetson-Lee pulled away from Hall a couple laps
into the 6 lap race and went on for the win while a late race mechanical saw
Falls get a gap on Erickson that held up to the finish.
In the Men’s 40 year old and up race the sprint for the first turn was won
by Kenny When (Colavita NM) and he pulled away consistently each lap for the
runaway victory. Behind him a group of 4 battled for position with Robert
Sonora (DCCX) putting in the first attack and Jon Delacy (DCCX) the second
that left the other two chasers, Joe Burtoni (DCCX) and Dave Hagen (FLC) in
their wake. On the last lap Delacy ended up getting by Sonora for second.
The Men’s A field, which sometimes can resemble a much larger race with the
many world/national caliber racers hailing from the region, started like
they were shot out of a cannon. Matt Shriver (Rocky Mountain Chocolate
Factory) instantly put his stamp on the race by getting 20 seconds on the
first lap. Cycling legend Ned Overend (Boure), Joey Thompson (Rocky Mountain
Chocolate Factory), Greg Lewis (Directory Plus/Trek), Chad Wells
(Hudz/Subaru) and Michael Carroll (DCCX) set up the chase on the quickly
deteriorating course conditions. This group eventually split up in that
order with 20-30 second gaps between each with Overend getting 2nd and
Thompson 3rd and Shriver taking the win by a comfortable margin.
A big thank you goes out to Ami Fair, the Special Events Coordinator with
Cortez Parks and Rec.for making the race possible and the great volunteers
from the Cortez cycling community/Kokopelli Bike Shop.
Next on the slate for the series is a twin bill coming up this weekend, Nov.
21 and 22, with races in Aztec, NM on Saturday and back in Durango at Santa
Rita Park on Sunday.
A great weekend of racing was had by all.
Here are the results.
We had a great turnout last weekend in Dolores, 80 racers, and the Todd Wells designed course was great.
Cortez CX is this Sunday at Parque de Vida/Cortez Rec. Center (entering Cortez from the east, turn right at Taco Bell and the Rec. Center will be on your left after 2 blocks).
Sunday, Nov. 15 – Cortez – Parque de Vida - Registration 9 - 11:15am, closes 15 minutes before Start Time
Category Start Time Race Time
Men’s B/ Women’s Open 10am 45 Minutes
Kids/MTB 11am 20 Minutes
Men’s A/ Men’s 40+ 11:30am 50 Minutes
Check out the series points so far below:
FLCCX Series p/b Animas Orthopedic Associates, Durango Coca-Cola and Rivergate Sports Medicine Standings
See y’all this Sunday,
Hagen
Great racing action happened - thanks to all those who raced and spectated. Should be some cool pictures coming around.
Here are the results
TRUCKEE, CA - I knew that Fort Lewis College had a good team going into the 2009 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships, but I had no idea how good.
The FLC riders led from day one and earned a dominating overall Omnium win with 671 points when all was said and done. The University of Colorado-Boulder came in second with 589 points and North Carolina cycling powerhouse, Lees-McRae College came in a surprising third with 555 points.
It was my first trip to a collegiate bike race and I came away with a whole new appreciation for the athletes. I found myself exhausted just hiking up and down the race courses at the beautiful Northstar-at-Tahoe resort near Truckee, CA. I almost can’t imagine braving the more than 20-mile Cross Country race or the white knuckle 4X Mountain Cross where spectacular crashes were common. For someone who thought he knew about cycling, the MTB National Championships were an education.
Day one of the Championships began with a heavy fog hanging over the Women’s Cross Country course. Each of the Division I and II riders would battle the 7.5-mile course over three laps and more than two hours. Chloe Forsman from the University of Arizona took the win with the University of Nevada-Reno taking second and Lees-McRae earning third.
Putting themselves in a great position for the overall Omnium race, FLC riders Sage Wilderman, Teal Stetson-Lee, and Kristina Dominic crossed the line in fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. Finishing a particularly gutsy race, Skyhawk Magen Long earned the 23rd spot despite numerous flat tires.
The Men’s Cross Country race kicked off next. The course was the same as the women’s race, but with an extra lap, bringing the total distance to 30 miles of rocky, steep terrain. Earning his first title of the Championships, FLC rider Rotem Ishay blew the competition away, finishing 18 minutes ahead of the University of Utah rider in second place. Colorado State University came in third. Skyhawks Trevor Downing (sixth) and Greg Carpenter (19th) also had strong showings and added all important points to Fort Lewis College’s overall total. Greg also battled mechanical problems and ended up carrying his bike for miles before dragging it across the finish line.
At the end of the first day of racing, Fort Lewis College held a slim, ten-point lead over Lees-McRae College and CU-Boulder.
The second day of competition included two of the most exciting races to watch: Short Track and 4X Mountain Cross.
As before, the women started the day. The Short Track course was (obviously) much shorter than the Cross Country, but with riders bunched so close together and jockeying for position, the race was just as intense. The formidable Carla Swart of Lees-McRae took the top spot and the previous day’s Cross Country winner, Chloe Forsman finished second. Breaking into the top three for FLC was Sage with another impressive showing. The other Skyhawk riders also shined, with Teal finishing fifth, Magen seventh, and Kristina ninth.
Again besting his competitors, Rotem took his second title of the Championships by winning the Men’s Short Track. The crowd watching the race was understandably amazed. Right behind Rotem was Trevor in fourth, Greg in seventh, and Bryce Gordon in fourteenth.
The afternoon of day two brought on the 4X Mountain Cross competition. Four riders taking to the brutal course at the same time made for some fierce racing and spectacular crashes.
FLC’s Emma Millar was amazing as she fought her way to a first place finish in the women’s races. CU-Boulder and Lindsey Wilson College rounded out the top three. Chantel Coleman earned Fort Lewis College more all-important Omnium points with a fifth place finish. The reliable Sage came in ninth and Sabina Kraushaar finished thirteenth.
The Skyhawk men couldn’t quite match the ladies as the University of Nevada-Reno claimed the top spot in 4X Mountain Cross with Lindsey Wilson College and CU-Boulder coming in second and third, respectively. However, FLC rider Miguel Ramos earned a sixth place finish that added more points to the overall total. Taylor Borucki and Evan Elliott of Fort Lewis finished twenty-four and thirty-second, respectively.
When night fell on day two, the top three schools in the Omnium chase remained the same, with FLC holding its lead against Lees-McRae. It would all come down to the Downhill races the next day.
Day Three
The final chance for any of the other schools competing to catch Fort Lewis College in the Omnium was in the Downhill race on day three.
Racers flew down the course, dropping 1,800 feet in about five minutes or less from the summit of Mt. Pluto. Skyhawk Emma Millar qualified in first place for the Downhill, but suffered a crash during her final run. Even so, she was somehow able to recover and finish second, just seconds behind fellow FLC rider, Sage Wilderman. Sabina earned the sixth spot and Chantel came in thirteenth, effectively locking up the overall Omnium title for the team.
Far from taking the Downhill race off, the FLC men competed hard and Taylor finished an impressive sixth place. Not far behind was Miguel in tenth, Evan in fifteenth, and Lucas LeMaire in twenty-second.
And that was it. The racing was over and all the hard work the FLC team had put in during the year had paid off. The remarkable Sage Wilderman capped off her Championships with a trip to the podium as the Division I Women’s Omnium Champion, a fantastic individual accomplishment.
But the loudest cheers came as the entire Fort Lewis College Cycling Team took the stage to accept their stars-and-stripes jerseys and medals for earning their fourth USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships in a row.
Congratulations go out to not only the FLC riders, but also their coaches, Matt Shriver and Dave Hagen. Not only did they put together an amazing team, but I know they fixed a ton of flat tires and pushed their riders’ bikes up and down the mountain.
Up next for the team is the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships in Oregon in December. That event will decide the overall champion of the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference. Right now, Fort Lewis College holds the lead in the overall points race.
Go Skyhawks!
by Mitch Davis, Fort Lewis College
The Fort Lewis College Cyclocross Series presented by Animas Orthopedic Associates, Durango Coca-Cola and Rivergate Sports Medicine begins Sunday Nov. 1 with NightCross up on FLC Campus.
There will be $$ for the top 3 Men’s A and Open Women AND great prizes for the top 3 in each of the other categories at the end of the series – best 6 out of the 7 races count toward final points. Dolores, Cortez and Aztec may have prizes for those individual races
SCHEDULE:
Sunday, Nov. 1- FLC NightCross - FLC Stadium - Registration 4 - 6:15pm, closes 15 minutes before Start Time
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Race #
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Category
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Start Time
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Race Time
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1
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Men’s B/ Women’s Open
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5pm
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45 Minutes
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2
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Kids/MTB
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6pm
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20 Minutes
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3
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Men’s A/ Men’s 40+
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6:30pm
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50 Minutes
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Sunday, Nov. 8 - Dolores - Joe Rowell Park - Registration12:30-2:45pm, closes 15 minutes before start time
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Race #
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Category
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Start Time
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Race Time
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1
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Men’s B/ Women’s Open
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1:30pm
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45 Minutes
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2
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Kids/MTB
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2:30pm
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20 Minutes
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3
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Men’s A/ Men’s 40+
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3:00pm
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60 Minutes
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Prizes: 4:30 Dolores River Brewery For more info:http://ciclistasdelrio.blogspot.com/
Sunday, Nov. 15 – Cortez – Parque de Vida - Registration 9 - 11:15am, closes 15 minutes before Start Time
Saturday, Nov. 21 – Aztec – Riverside Park -Registration 9 - 11:15am, closes 15 minutes before Start Time
Sunday, Nov. 22 - Durango - Santa Rita Park - Registration 9 - 11:15am, closes 15 minutes before Start Time
Saturday, Dec. 5 - Russell the Musclecross – Buckley Park http://www.durangocyclery.com
Sunday, Dec. 6 - Series Finals - FLC Stadium - Registration 9 - 11:15am, closes 15 minutes before Start Time
Final 5 races run at these times:
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Race #
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Category
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Start Time
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Race Time
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1
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Men’s B/ Women’s Open
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10am
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45 Minutes
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2
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Kids/MTB
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11am
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20 Minutes
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3
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Men’s A/ Men’s 40+
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11:30am
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50 Minutes
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Series Prizes: Sunday Dec. 6, 6pm – Irish Embassy Pub, Durango
$20 per Race - $10 for Kids/MTB
FLC CX Camp: November 5-7(4pm on Thur./Fri., 10am Saturday) FLC Softball Complex.
Come join FLC Cycling Head Coach Matt Shriver (part of the 2008 US CX Worlds Team) for a weeks worth of training under a program that will prime for the upcoming CX race season – training program included! Contact – shriver_m@fortlewis.edu for more details
CX Practices:
Wednesdays/12noon/FLC Softball Complex
Wednesdays/4pm/FLC Softball Complex (Starting Nov. 4th)
Thursdays/4pm/FLC Softball Complex (Starting Nov. 5th)
Pre-Race Gatherings: Saturdays, 7pm, Irish Embassy Pub, Drink Specials for Racers/Spectators
More Info: Email hagen_d@fortlewis.edu
FLC CX is also proudly supported by Bread, SRAM, Durango Cyclery, Zia Taqueria, Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, the Irish Embassy, Mountain Bike Specialists, Bourse Sportswear and King Cage.
Please keep an eye on this site for weekly updates.
The FLC Mountain Bike team has arrived in Truckee, California to participate in the 2009 Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships held at North Star Mountain Resort.
The Cross Country women will kick off the race weekend and search for a fourth straight overall national championship title. Race starts at 8:00 a.m and will consist of 3 laps that are 7.5 miles each and 800 feet per lap. The men will take to the course at 12:00 and race 4 laps on the same course.
Saturday is a busy day for the team with the Gravity riders competing in the Four Cross and the Endurance riders tackle the Short Track Cross Country.
Sunday will conclude the racing action with the Downhill as the final event of the weekend. Stay tuned to the website for live up to date Twitter feeds.
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Fort Lewis College 15 year commemorative throwback jersey.
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Back of the Jersey profile.
Celebrate the team’s 15 year history by ordering a 1994 throwback jersey and an FLC Cycling alumni t-shirt today. With the national championships just around the corner, your purchase will help ensure that team has the resources they need to stand on top of the podium come October.
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs015/1102638303637/archive/1102663243369.html
THROWBACK JERSEYS AND ALUMNI T-SHIRTS:
To mark the 15th anniversary of FLC Cycling’s first national title, the Alumni Club is releasing limited edition throwback jerseys and dry-wicking running tees inspired by the team’s 1994 racing jersey. The art design for the club fit jerseys, race fit jerseys, and running tees are identical.
Alumni T-shirts will proudly display our new FLC Cycling Alumni logo on the front of a 100% cotton, navy blue T-shirt. The Back of the shirt will display FLC Cycling’s 15th anniversary logo, and a listing of the team’s accomplishments throughout our 15 year history.
ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS:
As previously mentioned, all Jersey and T-shirt sales will now go the the FLC Foundation. The difference between our production cost and the price you pay, is considered a tax deductible donation to the “FLC Cycling Team-Operations Fund” Your total donation amount will provided to you at checkout for tax purposes.
You may pay for your jerseys and tees by credit card or check:
CREDIT CARD:
2. Click the “Purchase Now” link below
3. You will be redirected to the FLC Foundation’s site.
4. Fill in your personal info
5. Click next
6. Under “gift description” select “other” from the pull-down tab
7. In the ” other (please describe)” field, type “Cycling Operations (T-shirts)”
8. Complete transaction
CHECK:
2. Make your check payable to the Fort Lewis College Foundation, and write FLC Cycling Alumni on the memo.
3. Send payment to:
Fort Lewis College Foundation
1000 Rim Drive
Durango, CO 81301
**YOU MUST FIRST** email sizes, styles, quantities and shipping address as well as pickup or ship preferences to: FLCCyclingAlumni@gmail.com or the order won’t be processed before the reunion deadline.
*Note adjusted jersey pricing*
Classic 3 pocket cycling jerseys by Pactimo
1994 FLC throwback design available in three types:
“Century Club Fit” in unisex sizes XXS-4XL for a $60 donation.
“Continental Race Fit” in Women’s sizes for a $75 donation.
“Continental Race Fit” in Men’s sizes for a $75 donation.
Running Tee by Pactimo
Dry-wicking jersey fabric, t-shirt shaped cut
1994 FLC Throwback design similar to above
Available in Men’s and Women’s sizes and cuts.
“Strada Running Tee” in Women’s cut and sizing for a $40 donation.
“Strada Running Tee” in Men’s cut and sizing for a $40 donation.
IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE FOR RUNNING TEE
ART IDENTICAL TO CYCLING JERSEY
ALUMNI Cotton T-shirts in navy blue:
Available in Men’s, Women’s, and Youth cuts and sizes.
Men’s T-shirts in S-XXXL for a $20 donation.
Women’s T-shirts in XS-XXL for a $20 donation.
Youth T-shirts in M-L for a $15 donation
FLC CYCLING ALUMNI REUNION
DURANGO FALL BLAZE FUNDRAISER RIDE
Sept, 25-27 2009
More information about the FLC Cycling Alumni Reunion and Durango Fall Blaze is available in our first newsletter, which has been archived on our newsletter archive page. Or, you can always email us at FLCCyclingAlumni@gmail.com
Here are some of the details:
Friday Sept. 25th:
9:00am FLC Cycling Alumni road ride (casual) leaves from the Durango Diner
5-9pm Alumni happy hour
• Ska Brewing World HQ. 225 Girard St. (Bodo Park)
• $15 Includes food from Zia Taqueria, & 2 beer coupons
• Music from Progressive Sound Entertainment, DJ Hovey-D
Saturday Sept. 26
6:30-7:45am On-site packet pickup @ Fall Blaze venue tent
7:30-7:45am Alumni photo on library stairs
8:00am Ride starts
11:00-5:00pm Post ride party on campus
• Food beer and music with Blaze registration wristband
• Additional wristbands for spouses and family available for $10
• Silent auction, jersey and T-shirt sales @ FLC Cycling Alumni tent
Sunday Sept. 27th
9:00 am FLC Cycling Alumni mountain bike ride leaves from the Durango Diner
FLC Cycling Coach Matt Shriver drives the pace up Sugarloaf Pass.
Third place can be pretty sweet — especially when the winner is among the best in the world, and you helped put him on the top spot on the podium.
That’s the situation Fort Lewis Cycling Team coach Matt Shriver found himself in after helping seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong to a record-setting finish in this year’s grueling Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race. Shriver finished third in the race, behind second-place finisher and six-time Leadville 100 winner Dave Wiens, from Gunnison, Colorado.
“I’m beyond wasted!” Shriver wrote on his Twitter site shortly after finishing the race. “Leadville 100 is a true test of your mind and body. So done! Awesome racing with Lance & Wiens. Incredible bike riders!”
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Shriver crosses the finish line in 3rd place after helping Armstrong make history.
Nearly 1,400 riders, mostly amateurs, competed in this year’s event on Saturday, August 15. The race, which started in a freezing rain, starts and finishes at 10,200 feet in downtown Leadville. The course is more than 90 percent dirt, and gains nearly 14,000 feet over its length, including a seven-mile climb to the 50-mile turn-around point at 12,600 feet.
Armstrong accomplished his feat with the help of Shriver and fellow Durango cyclist Travis Brown, who along with Armstrong rode for the Trek Cycling team. The two riders set a blistering pace to start the first uphill portion of the race. Shriver led the way for the first 40 miles or so of the race, until Armstrong hit his record-setting stride.
“Matt was making everyone suffer except Lance,” Wiens said later, calling the early pace the fastest he’d ever seen.
Despite riding the last 10 miles of the race on a flat tire, Armstrong sliced nearly 15 minutes off the race record in his victory over Wiens, who beat Armstrong by two minutes last year. Armstrong finished at 6:28:51, Wiens at 6:57:02, and Shriver at 7:09:48.
“It was a pretty special day for Durango, for Fort Lewis and for myself,” Shriver said after the race.
Lance Armstong leads FLC Cycling Coach Matt Shriver
Racing — and winning — are not new to Shriver. While a Fort Lewis student from 2001 through 2006, Shriver (’06, Exercise Science) competed on the Fort Lewis Cycling Team. In that time, he himself was a two-time national champion and was part of the teams that won nine national championships in those five years. This is his second year as coach of the team.
Since its beginnings as a club sport 15 years ago, the Fort Lewis College Cycling Team has also been on a roll. In 1994, the new team won the inaugural National Collegiate Cycling Association mountain biking national championships. Since then, the team has won another dozen NCCA Division 1 national championships, 10 total in mountain biking and three in cyclocross. The team has also won a Division 2 road championship.
Last season the team was again one of the top collegiate cycling programs, ranked number two in the country.
After the Leadville race, Shriver and the Fort Lewis team may have another honor yet to come: Armstrong told VeloNews that he is considering coming to Durango to ride with the Fort Lewis Cycling Team as a thanks for Shriver’s help in the race.
written by: Ken Wright
Fort Lewis College Cycling and Passion Productions has whipped up the 3rd annual Hermosa Creek Off-Road Classic mountain bike race on Saturday August 1st! Come one, come all, to race on the high country trail that made Durango famous. Starting at the Lower Hermosa Trailhead there is a 38 mile course for Pro/Semi Men and Women and Singlespeed A, a choice of either the 38 or 20 mile courses for the Expert Men and Women (3-5 hours), 20 miles for other classes and Singlespeed B. Race sponsors have kicked in some great prizes – cash for the top 3 Pro Men/ Women and top 3 Singlespeed A Men/Women and great products for the other classes! The icing on the cake will be the post-race BBQ/Campout hosted by the Durango Cyclery (Food and entertainment) held at the Upper Hermosa Trailhead. Proceeds go to the Fort Lewis College Cycling Team and Bicycle Lemonade.
Click on the Events Page above for complete info.
Skyler the Skyhawk and Team Manager Dave Hagen
Day one- Once again Fort Lewis Cycling showed their force at this years road nationals located in Fort Collins, Colorado. Racing got started on Friday, with a 70 mile road race for the men, and a 50 mile road race for the Women. The Women began at 8:00 a.m. with Sabina Kraushaar, Emma Millar, Sarah Sturm, and Tina Dominic, representing the FLC road team. The woman’s race, filled with the top D-1 collegiate women, made for a challenging day! Sturm had a breakthrough ride in her first road nationals, placing 31st for the woman. Krashaar was close behind with a 35th position and Millar and Dominic finished within 50th place.
The men’s race was exciting to watch, with groups quickly breaking up into lead and chase groups. The FLC men’s road team included Allister Ratcliff, Rotem Ishay, Yardin Gazit, Jesse Dekrey, Cody Stephenson and Russell Brown. The guys fought hard, with Ishay, Dekrey and Gazit remaining in the lead group until the end, with an outstanding 5th place podium finish for Ishay, with great finishes for Dekrey and Yardin, with 11th and 15th place finishes. Ratcliff experienced a mechanical at the start, but remarkably rode his way back to finish 21st! Stephenson was close behind, finishing in the top with a 26th position. Brown had a solid race, finishing in the top half of the race with a 54th position.
Tina Dominic rides the front in the Criterium
Day two- Day two was a great spectating event, once again showing collegiate cycling that FLC means business. The ladies started the day off with excellent performances from our criterium team of Missy Erickson, Sabina Krashaar and Emma Millar and Tina Dominic. The woman started fast and showed our competition that FLC woman can do work! Dominic and Erickson finished with the group placing 30th and 42nd. Erickson was a hopeful for a top place finish in the criterium but was unfortunately involved in a crash at the last moment but amazingly managed to jump back in and finish with the group. Krashaar and Millar worked hard during the race and respectively placed 46th and 53rd, with Millar taking prime points home for the team. The men’s crit, with a starting field of 106, was an amazing spectacle. The men’s team of Allister Ratcliff, Ian Burnett, Cody Stephenson and Jesse Dekrey were a huge power house during the men’s race. Ratcliff had a stunning race, and jumped in the break, taking a 5th place podium position. The rest of the FLC men worked together in front to control the race. Stephenson had a remarkable finish, placing 12th, with Dekrey and Burnett finishing their day in 26th and 78th places.
FLC Women's Team Time Trial line up.
Day three- The final day was the most intense out of the three events. Much emphasis on this event is placed between teams, as the final marker of rivalry. With a change in weather from the previously two sunny days, our TT teams kitted up in cold weather gear as the rain and wind took affect. The men’s team of DeKrey, Burnett, Ratcliff, and Gordon, worked hard, and respectively landed a podium position of 4th place, with only seconds apart from the top 2nd and 3rd teams. The women’s team composed of Sturm, Erickson, Millar, and Kraushaar gave it their best, with Erickson recovering from her crit crash, to land a 7th place overall. This ended the season with FLC earning a top five team omnium award! Well done FLC nationals riders, you were some fierce competition!
By clicking on the Camps page above you can find out all the information you need to know about the FLC Cycling Gravity Camp to be held in Durango, CO on June 13-19, 2009 at Fort Lewis College.
The FLC Gravity Camp is focused on giving developing racers the training tools necessary, both on and off the bike, to reach their full potential.
The camp is open to all 16-23 year old, male and female, gravity racers.
On the bike, participants will work on skills, fitness and downhill runs – there fore it is strongly recommended that riders bring both a MX/DS/Trail bike and a Downhill bike. We’ll ride a variety of different slalom courses, local trails, a MX course, the BMX track and a couple downhill courses. Select courses will be timed to come up with the fastest racers. Results will be passed onto USA Cycling to get riders on the radar if they aren’t already.
Off the bike there will be discussions on nutrition, training plans/techniques, bike repair/maintenance/setup, and also guest speakers talking about mental preparation, race preparation and sponsorship.
Camp staff includes FLC Alumni/Pro Racers Tommy Tokarczyk (Jamis) and Cody Wilderman (Yeti), Chad Cheeney (Durango DEVO Head Coach) and former world caliber racer, Elke Brutsaert.
The cost of the camp is $725 and includes room and board.
FLC Women's A line it up before the TTT
Showing no mercy in the cold wet rain this past weekend, the FLC Women dominated the Women’s A Team Time Trial. The race was held at Miller Motor Speedway in Toole, Utah as part of the RMCCC Conference Finals hosted by the University of Utah Cycling Team.
Since many of the races that included team time trials have been canceled, this was the first test for all of the teams in attendance. Missy Erickson, Sabina Kraushaar, Emma Millar, and Sarah Sturm worked flawlessly together to win by a staggering margin of nearly two minutes. The FLC Women completed the 15.5 mile out and back course with a time of 39:15 over 2nd place CSU Rams with a time of 41:09. Colorado School of mines placed 3rd with a time of 45: 10 respectively.
The Men’s A team fielded only part of the team that will attend the National Championships in May. Ian Gordon and Ian Burnett lead the TTT with Russ Brown as the third man. Together they rode to a tie for 2nd place that was later decided by officials to be lost by a slim one hundrenth of a second to Air Force Academy. The CSU Rams Men won the TTT on the weekend.
Robbie Jones on his way to a strong 2nd place finish in the C Crit.
The Crit followed the team time trial on Saturday afternoon and into the evening in Salt Lake City. With a challenging course and the on and off moisture it made the racing very exciting. Robbie Jones of FLC was in the hunt for the overall C Men conference title and rode a perfect criterium to win the bunch sprint and finish 2nd in the crit. Other notable rides in the crit where Grady James riding away with the his first victory of the season in the B Men. Grady rode perfect position throughout the crit and timed the sprint perfectly for the win.
The Men’s A Criterium was the usual all out slug fest with continuous attacks by all the team. Fort Lewis missed a late race breakaway within the last 7 laps. With two laps to go Ian Burnett and Ian Gordon rode the front in hopes of bringing back the break composed of Caley Fretz, CSU and a University of Utah rider. Both Ian’s gave everything for their teammates and launched Rotem Ishay and Cody Stephenson just a little early. Rotem led Cody out in the finishing sprint. Cody held on to 3rd place with a bike throw at the line and Rotem finished 7th.
Rotem Ishay lines up for his first crit in awhile.
Missy Erickson Attacks the bunch on the first lap.
Missy Erickson went to work early on the field in the Women’s Criterium with a 1st lap attack and rode away with one CSU rider. Both riders would be brought back to the field eventually and Missy finished 3rd in the crit followed closely by Emma Millar in 5th, Sarah Sturm 11th and Sabina Kraushaar in 12th.
A circuit race capped off the rainy weekend in the Salt Lake area. The most notable rides were Ian Burnett’s sprint finish for a 2nd place. Emma Millar finished 3rd in the Women’s A followed closely by Sarah Sturm in 4th.
Congratualtions to Kenji Fortune for winning the B Men’s Overall conference title. FLC Cycling has an off week to prepare for Collegiate Nationals being held in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Another weekend of Spring weather in the Colorado Rockies kept FLC Cycling from sending a full squad to the racing weekend hosted by the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Instead, the riders would train at home with a Team Time Trial and then send a three rider Men’s Squad for the Sunday road race on the Air Force base.
With an expected 4-7 inches of new snow, the Sky Hawks did not load up the truck and trailer with all 20+ riders that had signed up for the weekend. Instead we would complete a team time trial at home in the Durango sunshine and take a small squad of A Men riders that are trying to qualify for Collegiate Nationals in less than three weeks.
Coach Matt Shriver and team manager Dave Hagen left Durango on Saturday afternoon with Men’s A rider’s Jesse DeKrey, Rotem Ishay, and Alister Ratcliff. Both Rotem and Alister are in the hunt for spots on the Nationals Team and needed one more start per collegiate rules.
The road race course at the Air Force Academy is almost identical to the 86′ Road World Championships course. A CSU rider escaped on the first lap and sat out there burning matches all day. FLC rode a very smart race and mad all of the selections. The one FLC attack of the day, by Alister Ratcliff, was a good move but ended quickly when he was forced to cross the yellow line to pass a car in the course before entering a left hand turn. Alister was disqualified by the moto official in a controversial decision. Jesse DeKrey and Rotem Ishay followed moves and coming into the final sprint were in perfect position. Jesse hit out with everything a little early and came up just short of the win, earning a 2nd place finish to CSU rider Caley Fretz. Rotem followed closely with a 4th place.
Overall it was a good showing for the Sky Hawks with the National Championships coming up in just a few weeks. Missy Erickson attended a Criterium in Albuquerque, New Mexico to improve here Crit form and placed 19th in the Cat 3 men and then an impressive 4th place in the Pro 1-2-3 Women’s Race.
Read the Durango Herald Article here.
Coach Matt Shriver gives instruction to Men's B riders before the crit.
This past weekend the FLC Cycling team hosted the annual Squawker Classic Races in Durango. The weekend consisted of a Team Time Trial and Criterium on Saturday, followed by the infamous Front Hill road race on Sunday. Unfortunately the Spring weather on Saturday morning was more than epic with an inch of slushy snow on the roads which resulted in the cancellation of the Team Time Trial.
The criterium would go on however rain, snow, or shine and FLC riders rose above the tortuous cold and wet conditions to post some great results for the weekend. Even with the slick conditions there were no crashes and the course was praised for a great layout and safety!
Once again Nora Richards continued to place consistently in the Women’s B field with another 2nd place finish. In the Women’s A Criterium Missy Erickson was again the top FLC finisher coming in 5th after chasing moves and attacking all day.
Team Manager Dave Hagen and Kenji Fortune have a smile
In the Men’s B Criterium, Alex Dossin took advantage of some good form and worked with teammates to ride to a 4th place finish. Alex owes teammates Kenji Fortune and Grady James a thank you for softening the field and working together to get Alex a strong finish.
The Men’s A Criterium brought the most epic conditions of the day. With rain and a wet snow on the starting line, the FLC team quickly went to work launching Ian Burnett up the road. Ian rode solo for the first 20 minutes of the criterium while his teammates sat back and waited in good position. As the race heated up, Jesse DeKrey followed moves and snuck away in a couple unsuccessful breaks. Ben Sonntag, The German, sat in good position and waited until the final lap to make a move. Ben went int the final corner at the front and just got nipped at the line by a CSU rider. A strong team effort by the FLC Men.
Ben Sonntag (Ze German) rides to 2nd place in the wet crit
Sunday’s weather offered ideal racing conditions for the collegiate rider’s from four different states and 13 schools in the region. The road race course offers a brutal climb up the front hill of the campus with sections of 13% grade onto Rim Drive that meanders around the Fort Lewis College mesa. The riders take in views of the snow covered La Plata mountains before hitting the rollers and descending down Goegline Gluch road back to the bottom of the front hill climb. In total the A men did 9 laps of a 6 mile circuit and the Women would complete 5 laps.
Sabina Kraushaar made the early move in the Women’s A race that came apart on front hill. After riding as the only FLC rider in the main group, Sabina finally came off and couldn’t cover any more attacks by herself. A strong ride by Sabina in the road race. Tina Dominic would ride consistently all day to finish just behind Sabina.
Ben Sonntag delivered the first win of the road season for the FLC Men’s A riders. The Men’s race turned out to be a race of attrition and there was no hiding on the front hill. After a CSU rider stayed away for 8 out of 9 laps, FLC went to work and brought him back. Yarden Gazit and Jesse DeKrey shredded the field by attacking repeatedly. This set up Ben Sonntag and Russell Brown for a 1st and 3rd place finish in the road race. Jesse DeKrey, although tired from attacking and working the last 2 laps, rode to a very respectable 5th place finish.
DangeRuss (Russell Brown) puts it down and suffers
Thanks to all of our sponsors and volunteers for making this event happen. We couldn’t have done this race without them. Special thanks to Dave Hagen for all of his hard work in putting on the most fun Collegiate Race of the year.
Next up is the Air Force Academy race in Colorado Springs this weekend, April 25-26th. Hopefully the 3-7 inches of snow they are calling for heads North!
Missy Erickson attacking in the crit
The German begins shredding the field on the front hill.
Men's B, Grady James, Kenji Fortune, and Alex Dossin work on the field on Front Hill.
Ian Gordon chases
Jesse DeKrey burries himself to chase moves with Ben on his wheel.
Jonathon Kranzley takes the final corner in the wet crit
tina-dominic-climbs-front-hill
Missy Erickson, Emma Millar, Sarah Sturm and Sabina Kraushaar of the FLC Women's Squad
With Winter in full force on the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the FLC Cycling team decided to attend a non-Collegiate road race near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Tierra Del Sol was held South of Albuquerque starting and finishing in Belen, NM. The Women would complete a 45 mile race over rolling terrain. The Men would race a longer loop of 62 miles with one larger climbing section that would play a large role in the race outcome. The spring winds in New Mexico made the race extremely difficult for all categories with steady 20 mph winds and 45 mph gusts.
The FLC Women went to work quickly working for Sarah Sturm. Sarah has been steadily improving all season and the team decided to work for Sarah in hopes of obtaining a top 5 finish. Her teammates chased down threatening attacks and kept Sarah protected from the wind all day. With the help from here teammates Missy Erickson, Tina Dominic, Sabina Kraushaar, Emma Millar, and Nora ,Sarah rode to a strong 4th place. The three riders that finished in front of Sarah were accomplished pro 1-2 racers . A great team effort for the FLC Women and a step up for Sarah Sturm who will now be racing in the Collegiate A Womens Category.
DangeRuss Brown made the break in Tierra Del Sol Road Race.
The Men’s race was the first to go off at 9:00 and quickly it became apparent that the FLC Men were there to dominate. Being a non-Collegiate race it provided a rare opportinity for the Coach, Matt Shriver, to get some hands on coaching with the Men’s team and direct during the race. It proved to be invaluable for Matt and the team to understand the tactics and strengths and weaknesses of each team member in a real race setting.
With the race starting into a cross wind the team went to work on the field right away guttering it and shattering the field. FLC Men had five riders in the break of nine. Coach Matt Shriver made the break with Russ (Dangeruss) Brown, Rotem Ishay, Alister Ratcliff, and Yorgos Arambadjis. Quickly the break was riding away from the field. Coach Shriver would soon get a front flat and come out of the break only to be helped back onto the main group by Ian Gordon.
The game plan was to keep attacking and stack the break. At 25 miles into the race Coach Matt Shriver took Ian Gordon, and Yarden Gazit and attacked on the lone climb in an attempt to get across to the break. While going across they picked up another FLC rider, Alister Ratcliff who had been in the break but came out due to a flat tire. DengeRuss and Rotem Ishay were still in the break and sitting on.
With 12 miles to go the four FLC riders bridged across to the breakway group and now contained 6 FLC riders. They quickly went to work in the remaining 10 miles of the race. Coach Shriver set up his team by attacking first and softening the break for his riders to continue with counter attacks. After multiple attacks Alister Ratcliff of FLC rode away with Damian Clavert from New Mexico. These two would take it to the line and Alister would com up just short in a sprint finishing 2nd on the day. Yarden Gazit, finished 4th followed by Shriver in 5th.
With the FLC Cycling Home Race happening this weekend and the Nationals Champioinships only 3 weeks later, the team is really starting to come together. The Sky Hawks are looking forward to turning some heads in Durango with impressive fire power and teamwork on their home race courese. The Squawker Classic will kick off this coming Saturday, April 11th with the Bread Team Time Trial followed by the criterium that afternoon. Sunday is will be the infamous Squawker Classic Road Race up the front hill and around campus. The front hill climb has an average grade of 8% and sections up to 13%.
The second day of racing in Grand Junction was the road race. For our C rider Robbie Jones this would be his first ever road race. It was a seemingly nice morning with moderately warm temperatures and a light breeze. All the groups started about 5 minutes apart from each other with the A men starting first. The C men would take off a few cycles behind them for their one lap of the lollipop course. The total length would be 30 miles. Robbie got off to a great start and held a good position throughout the race. It was a very hard road race with many hills and as each race progressed the wind got stronger and stronger. As Robbie came through the feed zone he was in the lead pack but there were a few riders trying to get off the front on this challenging climb. He kept his cool and began to work to make sure they didn’t get to far up the road. Robbie ended the day in a good placing for his first ever road race, 5th.
The longest race of the day was that of the Men’s A field. They would be doing 72 miles or 4 laps of this hilly course. Fort Lewis started strong with 13 riders rolling off the start. With numbers on our side the A men decided that they would be the main factor in the race. Attacking early and hoping to get someone in a break. It happened. Alister Ratcliff attacked early which helped launch Ian Gordon into a 4 man break away. The break held strong increasing its gap every lap and also doing its part to shatter the field behind it. As this race went on it seemed to be getting the best of 7 of our 13 riders. With many mechanicals and sore bodies from crashes the day before we soon found ourselves with only three riders in the main chase group and one in the break. The main group held Yarden Gazit, Cody Stephenson and Jesse Dekrey. They were doing their best to make sure that Ian Gordon stayed in the break and would have a shot at the win. As the break started to come through on the last lap it was realized that the group had broken apart and Ian Gordon was hanging off the back of it and didn’t have much left. As the chase field came through, Matt Shriver our Men’s coach, informed the 3 FLC riders that the race was up to them and to attack because Ian was off. With this information Yarden laid down an attack which was unsuccessful. He was followed by an attack from Jesse Dekrey which was unsuccessful and finally Cody Stephenson through down an attack that pulled in a 3rd place finish for him and a 4th place finish for Jesse. Yarden followed in 8th. Our other riders followed with Ian Gordon in 12th, Ian Burnett in 18th and Alex Howard in 21st.
As the racing continued the wind began to blow at a steady 30 plus mile an hour wind. This made the already though course even worst, especially if you were alone with no one to share blocking the wind. However that was not true in the case of the Men B race. Our own Levon Kalemkiarian found himself in a break after the first major hill, alone, with 95% of the 3 lap or 58 mile race still ahead of him. With his teammates Grady James and Kenji Fortune in the field he was able to stretch his gap with every peddle stroke. He came through the feed zone the first and second time with over a minute lead. Kenji and Grady sat in nicely at the front of the main group ensuring there teammate as much time and help that he needed to stay away. As they came through the last lap the field was now on the attack and had Lev in their sights. But it was too little too late. Levon stayed off the front of the race, alone, all day for a victory. His teammates followed close with Kenji in 3rd and Grady in 6th. A very impressive ride for Levon but also an impressive show of team work on Kenji and Grady’s part.
Our A women also had a 58 mile or 3 lap race ahead of them. We started 3 girls today, Tina Dominic, Jess Lathrop and Sabina Krashaaur. Missy Erickson would sit out this race due to the injuries suffered in a crash the day before in the criterium. All our girls were a bit tired from their huge effort the day before but looked ready to go at the start of their race. Their race would be one of the windiest of the day which made this race that much more selective. At the first climb all our girls found themselves chasing to stay on to this extremely fast women’s A field. However, none of them made it back on to the group, but they formed their own group in a wise discussion to help each other stay out of the wind and get some good practice riding together in a race pace situation. As each lap when by the wind kept picking up. The women’s A field was the last on the course and suffered the brunt of the wind. By the end there were gusts over 50 mph! It was a great test of team work for these girls and they all came out stronger than they went in.
Our B women were also set and ready for a great performance. Sarah Sturm coming off her first win and Hilary Smallwood with a solid performance both got excited for there go at this demanding course. They too would be doing one lap or 30 miles. There race got underway and became very selective. The hills and the wind played a huge factor in this race and by the time we saw them in the feed zone the race was totally blown apart. One CU rider was up the road and Sarah was in second by herself all day chasing. With no group larger than two people all these girls had a challenging day in the wind. We soon saw Hilary working away up the feed zone hill, she can climb with the best of them, but like Sarah was all alone. At the end Sarah came in a strong 2nd and Hilary followed in 12th. Another great show of how these two girls are improving with every race!
Check out the Events link for the lowdown on some of the best racing in the region.
